Home Management
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Malnutrition
Children living in poverty often battle with the added stress of material deprivation and unstable emotional lives, circumstances that leave them particularly at risk of malnutrition. Amongst hospitalised children in the U.K it’s been found that 16% were severely stunted, 14% wasted and 20% at risk of severe malnutrition.
Kids Company’s support reaches thousands of children who have or are experiencing malnutrition, hunger or food insecurity. Malnutrition is not the same as hunger, although they often go together. Malnutrition is insufficient, excessive or imbalanced consumption of protein, energy or micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
There are two types of malnutrition;
• Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) arises due inadequate intake of calories from proteins, such as fish and meat, and vitamins and minerals, such as zinc, iron and vitamin A.
• Micro-malnutrition refers to mineral and vitamin deficiency.
Both these conditions can have serious negative consequences for physical and mental health.
What are the effects of malnutrition?
At worst severe malnutrition leads to death. The WHO currently attribute more than one third of child mortality to malnutrition making it the leading cause of child death worldwide. For survivors, chronic malnourishment, both short and long term, leaves the body lacking the nutrients for proper health and development and vulnerable to infection and disease. The physical effects of malnutrition include;
• Fatigue, low energy and dizziness.
• Swollen, bleeding gums and decaying teeth.
• Underweight, muscle weakness and poor growth.
• Poor immune function leaving the body vulnerable to infection.
• Problems with organ function, that may lead to disease states such as
Coronary Heart Disease or Osteoporosis
• Insulin-resistance resulting from a diet with low nutritional value, eg high fats and sugar content, can result in Diabetes.
• Diseases such as Marasmus and Obesity result from under, or
Introduction
Malnutrition
Children living in poverty often battle with the added stress of material deprivation and unstable emotional lives, circumstances that leave them particularly at risk of malnutrition. Amongst hospitalised children in the U.K it’s been found that 16% were severely stunted, 14% wasted and 20% at risk of severe malnutrition.
Kids Company’s support reaches thousands of children who have or are experiencing malnutrition, hunger or food insecurity. Malnutrition is not the same as hunger, although they often go together. Malnutrition is insufficient, excessive or imbalanced consumption of protein, energy or micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
There are two types of malnutrition;
• Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) arises due inadequate intake of calories from proteins, such as fish and meat, and vitamins and minerals, such as zinc, iron and vitamin A.
• Micro-malnutrition refers to mineral and vitamin deficiency.
Both these conditions can have serious negative consequences for physical and mental health.
What are the effects of malnutrition?
At worst severe malnutrition leads to death. The WHO currently attribute more than one third of child mortality to malnutrition making it the leading cause of child death worldwide. For survivors, chronic malnourishment, both short and long term, leaves the body lacking the nutrients for proper health and development and vulnerable to infection and disease. The physical effects of malnutrition include;
• Fatigue, low energy and dizziness.
• Swollen, bleeding gums and decaying teeth.
• Underweight, muscle weakness and poor growth.
• Poor immune function leaving the body vulnerable to infection.
• Problems with organ function, that may lead to disease states such as
Coronary Heart Disease or Osteoporosis
• Insulin-resistance resulting from a diet with low nutritional value, eg high fats and sugar content, can result in Diabetes.
• Diseases such as Marasmus and Obesity result from under, or